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SLU edges Northwestern State

Staff Reports
Published 10:01 p.m. CT Feb. 29, 2016

Northwestern State coach Mike McConathy saw his team lose at SLU on Monday.(Photo: File photo)

HAMMOND – Jordan Capps didn’t beat Northwestern State by himself Monday night, but it sure felt like it.

The 6-7 Southeastern Louisiana forward had 29 points and 19 rebounds, nine offensive, before the Demons missed a last-second shot to win, falling 84-82 to the Lions.

The outcome left NSU (8-18 overall, 5-11 in the Southland Conference) still shy of a berth in next week’s conference tournament with two games left. SLU (10-19, 8-8 after its third straight win, and seventh in a row at home) had already clinched one of the eight tourney spots.

The Lions outscored the Demons 24-12 on second-chance points, while outrebounding the visitors 43-33, a decisive factor in a game with 10 ties and 12 lead changes.\

SLU senior point guard Zay Jackson made three of four free throws in the last 28 seconds, sandwiched around a 3-pointer by NSU sophomore point guard Devonte Hall with 7.3 seconds remaining to draw the Demons within 83-82. Jackson left the door open when he missed the first of a two-shot opportunity with 5.6 seconds left. After he sank the second one for a two-point advantage, SLU called timeout.

The Demons were able to loop an inbounds pass to Hall heading toward the midcourt line, but after two dribbles, Hall was in traffic heading toward the top of the key and tossed the ball backwards on the wing to Sabri Thompson, whose running 22-footer glanced off the front iron in the waning seconds.

“Our last play didn’t work out like we planned, and we took a rushed shot, but Southeastern did a nice job defensively on the play,” said NSU coach Mike McConathy. “It shouldn’t have come to that.

“The game is Jordan Capps and our inability to match his intensity. One guy just completely annihilated us. He wanted it more. He got the ball, he scored, and if he didn’t score it the first shot, he went and got it and scored,” said McConathy. “That’s as good a game as I’ve seen from an interior player in the Southland Conference.”

Capps posted career bests for scoring and rebounding while making 12 of 19 shots, and rebounding most of his misses. He hit 5 of 7 free throws as SLU, which was making 63 percent at the line entering the game, drained 76 percent (16-21).

NSU got 21 points and a team-best seven rebounds by junior swingman Zeek Woodley, who fouled out for only the second time in his 89-game career. Hall scored 20 and had seven assists while Thompson finished with 18 points and Tra’von Joseph posted a season-high 11.

The Demons had the game’s biggest lead, seven, midway through the first half. SLU led by five several times. NSU briefly went on top by one four times in the second half, for a combined total of 2:10 elapsed, the last advantage coming at 73-72 with 3:23 remaining.

“I’m proud of the way we battled,” said McConathy. “We kept coming back, we overcame a lot of our mistakes, but even as great as Capps played, if we could have made one less mistake, we come home winners. I’m not disheartened because of our effort.”

The Demons will play their final home game Thursday night at 7:30 in the second half of a Prather Coliseum doubleheader with arch-rival Stephen F. Austin. NSU’s regular-season slate wraps up Saturday afternoon at New Orleans. One win, or a loss by Nicholls at Central Arkansas Thursday night or in Thibodaux Saturday against SLU, will lift the Demons into next Wednesday’s opening round of the conference tournament.